Infinite Loops

Dr. Julie Gurner is a doctor of psychology and executive performance coach to top percentile executives, primarily in finance and technology. She is also the proprietor of the Ultra Successful newsletter, which delivers a weekly challenge pulled from global business leaders and designed to "help you unleash your power." Dr. Gurner joins the show to discuss the merits of being unreasonable, why your business should not be your identity, why niceness is overrated, and more! Important Links: Substack Twitter Website Show Notes: Dr. Gurner's origin story How forensic psychology experience can help executive coaching Leaning into the 1% Why psychological tests are flawed The common traits of successful founders High performance & bottlenecks Why your business should not be your identity Data vs. emotion How Dr. Gurner applies her strategies in her own life Don't be nice Be unreasonable Social validation is not important How can you improve someone's communication skills? How Dr. Gurner would teach executive coaching The "no Plan B" mentality Can high energy be detrimental? How to unpack charisma How to turn down work Dr. Gurner's greatest satisfaction How has leadership changed in the last 20 years? Dr. Gurner as Empress of the World MORE! Books Mentioned: The Art of War; by Sun Tzu

Board Certified hypnotist & Goodwin Hypnosis founder Todd Goodwin joins us for his second appearance to discuss why we should treat the mind like a garden, why revelation is not the same as resolution, why labels can be counterproductive, and much more! Important Links: Goodwin Hypnosis Goodwin Hypnosis' YouTube Todd's first episode Luca Dellanna's episode Our episode on Dr John Sarno Show Notes: Treating the symptoms vs treating the cause Gardening the mind "Revelation is not resolution" Why aren't hypnosis & NLP more popular? Could Todd's work be filmed? Why labeling conditions can be counterproductive Clearing the emotional charge from traumatic memories Top-down vs. Bottom-up solutions Hypnosis as a way of reclaiming agency How we are shaped by childhood experiences Why we need a more compassionate criminal system MORE! Books Mentioned: Healing Back Pain; by John E. Sarno

Why is hard work a form of laziness? Why should we be wary of short-term success? How can imagining parallel worlds help us make better decisions? Author, management advisor, and researcher Luca Dellanna joins us to discuss these questions and more! Important Links: Luca's Website Luca's Twitter Show Notes: Ergodicity: survival is king Why sample size matters The two types of competitors Teaching by signaling The parallel worlds approach to decision-making Racing to the bottom Why working hard can be a form of laziness The three things managers should prioritize Why desiring change isn't enough Fighting avoidance with actionable small steps "Mixed values produce mixed results" Thinking by writing What Luca has learned from living in multiple countries Luca as Emperor of the World MORE! Books Mentioned: Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder; by Nassim Nicholas Taleb What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy Ergodicity: Definition, Examples, And Implications, As Simple As Possible; by Luca Dellanna The Control Heuristic: The Nature of Human Behavior; by Luca Dellanna 100 Truths You Will Learn Too Late; by Luca Dellanna Tao Te Ching; by Lao Tzu

Why is hard work a form of laziness? Why should we be wary of short-term success? How can imagining parallel worlds help us make better decisions? Author, management advisor, and researcher Luca Dellanna joins us to discuss these questions and more! Important Links: Luca's Website Luca's Twitter Show Notes: Ergodicity: survival is king Why sample size matters The two types of competitors Teaching by signaling The parallel worlds approach to decision-making Racing to the bottom Why working hard can be a form of laziness The three things managers should prioritize Why desiring change isn't enough Fighting avoidance with actionable small steps "Mixed values produce mixed results" Thinking by writing What Luca has learned from living in multiple countries Luca as Emperor of the World MORE! Books Mentioned: Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder; by Nassim Nicholas Taleb What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy Ergodicity: Definition, Examples, And Implications, As Simple As Possible; by Luca Dellanna The Control Heuristic: The Nature of Human Behavior; by Luca Dellanna 100 Truths You Will Learn Too Late; by Luca Dellanna Tao Te Ching; by Lao Tzu

Designer, entrepreneur and Visualize Value founder Jack Butcher joins us for his second appearance on the show to discuss how to get closer to reality, the differences between the US & the UK, whether vision can be taught, and MUCH more! Important Links: Jack's Twitter Visualize Value Jack's first appearance on the show How to Get Rich The Great Reshuffle Show Notes: Jack's origin story Productizing Visualize Value Ideas vs experience Fighting fear with experience Differences between the US & the UK "The buck stops here" "The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit" How to transcend language Can you teach vision? The internet as a variance amplifier How to communicate clearly Get closer to reality Jack's Twitter X Logo Jack as emperor of the world MORE! Books Mentioned: The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (a Little) Craziness and (a Lot Of) Success in America; by John Gartner The Illuminatus! Trilogy; by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea The Psychology of Money, by Morgan Housel Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment; by Jed McKenna

Dan Runcie is the Founder of Trapital, a company focused on music, media, and entertainment. Trapital's output includes a podcast, weekly newsletter, and deep-dive essays breaking down trends in the music industry. Dan joins us for his second appearance on the show to discuss how AI will transform the music industry, whether the age of the superstar is over, how artists become billionaires, and MUCH more! Important Links: Dan's Twitter Trapital Dan's first appearance on the show Show Notes: Can the music industry embrace AI? What will happen to music when AI gets better? Will some genres be quicker to adapt than others? How streaming algorithms are improving Are AI playlists the death of DJs? How artists can game the algorithm How artists can use the music industry's Pareto distribution Artists become millionaires selling music, and billionaires selling product Will we see the end of record companies? Will Bowie Bonds die? Are we going to see the end of the superstar? Ads & audiences Spotify vs YouTube vs TikTok Can newcomers displace the incumbents? Will the streamers dominate podcasting? What's next? Dan as Emperor of the World MORE!

Dr. William Zeng is founder and President of the Unitary Fund, a non-profit dedicated to developing the quantum ecosystem to benefit the most people. He previously led initial development of Rigetti Computing's quantum cloud platform, and is co-inventor of the Quil quantum instruction language. He was named to Forbes' 30 under 30 in the Science category for his work on quantum computing. Dr. William was one of the first recipients of an O'Shaughnessy Fellowship, which is a one-year program for ambitious people who want to build something great. Fellows receive a $100,000 grant and access to OSV's network of founders, investors and experts to support them in bringing their projects to life. Dr. William is using his fellowship grant to study how emerging quantum technologies can explore foundational questions in quantum mechanics. Important Links: The O'Shaughnessy Fellowships The Unitary Fund Will's Twitter A possibilities no-go theorem on the Wigner's friend paradox Show Notes: An introduction to quantum computing Regular computers vs quantum computers The impact of simulating quantum systems How quantum computing can transform risk analysis What does a quantum world look like? Encryption & risk The benefits of an open-source ecosystem Wigner's Friend experiments, agency & objective reality "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." "Technology is an integration of body and mind" The laws of physics What's next? MORE! Books Mentioned: How the Hippies Saved Physics: Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival The science fiction of Greg Egan The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World; by David Deutsch Historical Ontology; by Ian Hacking

Jack Raines is an online writer and LinkedIn provocateur, whose newsletter Young Money has already amassed 30,000 readers. Jack joins the show to discuss the importance of travel, the upsides of authenticity, risk, luck, and much, much more! Important Links: Jack's Twitter Young Money Show Notes: Jack's origin story Optionality and opportunity costs Hostel hopping The healthy life Grindset and hustle culture LinkedIn pranks Slamming the door on opportunities Work culture and the Great Reshuffle The luck of being alive today Crypto skepticism Quantifying risk Jack's three favourite places in the world The default path is not your destiny

Richard Craib is the Founder & CEO of Numerai, a new kind of hedge fund where data scientists around the world collaborate to predict equity returns using artificial intelligence. Richard joins the show to discuss Numerai's origins, how it embraces the spirit of open source, why it has its own cryptocurrency and MUCH more! Important Links: Numerai Richard's Twitter Show Notes: The genesis of Numerai How and why Numerai gives away its dataset Getting users to put skin in the game How Numerai scores users; becoming comfortable with the process Size limits & leverage Reactions to Numerai Numerai's cryptocurrency How Numerai differs from Quantopian Data, optimization & LLMs "Monopolize intelligence, monopolize data, monopolize money, and decentralize the monopoly" What could go wrong? Numerai's relationship with its data scientists Could Numerai's model work in any other industries? What could go wrong? "Life is long" MORE!

The scientist, researcher, analyst, connector, thinker, and doer Brian Roemmele joins us for his second Infinite Loops appearance to discuss the decline of wisdom and how we can save it, why LLMs are the modern version of Plato's cave, we need locally run AI models and MUCH more! Important Links: Brian's Twitter ReadMultiplex.com 40 AI Use Cases: How Many Did You Know About? Brian's first Infinite Loops appearance Show Notes: Why LLMs are the modern version of Plato's cave AI as Promethean fire Why we need locally run AI models AI use cases & the Nedd Ludd story The decline of wisdom Creating a wisdom keeper Loneliness & abandonment "How To Have A Conversation With Your Local Documents" History is written by the victors; using wisdom to define our future The tragedy of lost knowledge You are loved and you are not alone MUCH more! Books Mentioned: Cycles: The Science of Prediction; by Edward R. Dewey and Edwin F. Dakin The Iliad; by Homer The Odyssey; by Homer The Epic of Gilgamesh The Bible The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size; by Tor Norretranders The Hero with a Thousand Faces; by Joseph Campbell

Dr. Pippa Malmgren is an economist, founder, keynote speaker & award-winning author. She served President George W. Bush as Special Assistant to the President and on the National Economic Council. She was responsible for financial market issues during the Enron crisis, and was responsible for assessing terrorism risks to the economy after 9/11. She has also advised the US Cabinet. Dr. Pippa's most recent book, the Infinite Leader, won the International Press Award for the Best Book on Leadership for 2021. Dr. Pippa joins the show to discuss why leadership has gone wrong, what she thinks of the recent UFO news, why we're already in World War III, and a whole lot more! Important Links: Dr. Pippa's website Dr. Pippa's Substack Dr. Pippa's Twitter Show Notes: Why leadership has gone wrong Worldbuilding & the difference between management and leadership Why leaders always stay too long Balancing trust vs truth Confidence vs competence Balance, surfing & Taoism Numbers, stories & UFOs Reality belief systems: "It's not only stranger than we think, it's stranger than we can think." How psychedelics impact how we understand reality What Pippa would include in her leadership academy Bailouts, inflation & CBDCs We are already in World War III Creating a hug movement MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Infinite Leader: Balancing the Demands of Modern Business Leadership; by Chris Lewis & Dr. Pippa Malmgren The Leadership Lab: Understanding Leadership in the 21st Century; by Chris Lewis & Dr. Pippa Malmgren Signals: How Everyday Signs Can Help Us Navigate the World's Turbulent Economy; by Dr. Pippa Malmgren Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life; by Rory Sutherland Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders; by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic Tao Te Ching; by Lao Tzu The Rig Veda Prometheus Rising; by Robert Anton Wilson Wholeness and the Implicate Order; by David Bohm Orthodoxy; by G. K. Chesterton mgren is an economist, founder, keynote speaker & award-winning author. She served President George W. Bush as Special Assistant to the President and on the National Economic Council. She was responsible for financial market issues during the Enron crisis, and was responsible for assessing terrorism risks to the economy after 9/11. She has also advised the US Cabinet. Dr. Pippa's most recent book, the Infinite Leader, won the International Press Award for the Best Book on Leadership for 2021. Dr. Pippa joins the show to discuss why leadership has gone wrong, what she thinks of the recent UFO news, why we're already in World War III, and a whole lot more! Important Links: Dr. Pippa's website Dr. Pippa's Substack Dr. Pippa's Twitter Show Notes: Why leadership has gone wrong Worldbuilding & the difference between management and leadership Why leaders always stay too long Balancing trust vs truth Confidence vs competence Balance, surfing & Taoism Numbers, stories & UFOs Reality belief systems: "It's not only stranger than we think, it's stranger than we can think." How psychedelics impact how we understand reality What Pippa would include in her leadership academy Bailouts, inflation & CBDCs We are already in World War III Creating a hug movement MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Infinite Leader: Balancing the Demands of Modern Business Leadership; by Chris Lewis & Dr. Pippa Malmgren The Leadership Lab: Understanding Leadership in the 21st Century; by Chris Lewis & Dr. Pippa Malmgren Signals: How Everyday Signs Can Help Us Navigate the World's Turbulent Economy; by Dr. Pippa Malmgren Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life; by Rory Sutherland Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders; by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic Tao Te Ching; by Lao Tzu The Rig Veda Prometheus Rising; by Robert Anton Wilson Wholeness and the Implicate Order; by David Bohm Orthodoxy; by G. K. Chesterton

Ethan Mollick is an Associate Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he studies and teaches innovation and entrepreneurship. He also leads Wharton Interactive, an effort to democratize education using games, simulations, and AI. When Ethan started his Substack One Useful Thing in November last year, he was planning on writing about a different management paper every post. Then, in Ethan's words, the arrival of ChatGPT turned him from "an AI-skeptic to an AI-believer." Over the last few months, Ethan has been explaining the rapid developments in the AI industry, documenting how he has incorporated AI into his teaching, and providing practical guides to how we can use AI in our daily lives. Important Links: Ethan's Substack Ethan's Twitter 40 AI Use Cases: How Many Did You Know About? Show Notes: From AI skeptic to AI believer AI is already disruptive Unexpected AI use cases AI is not a search engine Prompt crafting is not the future Is the centaur model the future? How will AI impact education? Will AI accelerate entrepreneurship? The politics & geopolitics of AI How to get unique results using AI Using AI to explore liminal spaces Speed-running the adoption curve Can you teach curiosity? The complex relationship between corporations and AI use We have agency over our future MORE! Books Mentioned: The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology; by Raymond Kurzweil The Iliad; by Homer

Chen Qiufan (AKA Stanley Chan) is an award-winning science fiction writer, screenwriter, creative producer, and columnist. He is the president of the World Chinese Science Fiction Association and the founder of the content development studio Thema Mundi. Chen joins the show to discuss his latest novel, AI 2041: Ten Visions for the Future, which he co-wrote with former Google China president Kai-Fu Lee. Part science fiction, part science forecasting, over ten short stories AI 2041 imagines the different ways, good and bad, that AI will impact our society. The central thesis? AI will transform our lives, but we remain masters of our fate. Important Links: Qiufan's Website Qiufan's Twitter Show Notes: Qiufan's sci-fi influences When did the third wave of AI begin? Why is modern sci-fi so dystopian? How AI is going to impact education Hidden biases & the objective function Deep fakes & narrative collapse Accelerationism, balance & Daoism Do we need real jobs? Happiness is a byproduct Living in a post-scarcity society What's next? MORE! Books Mentioned: AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future; by Kai-Fu Lee & Chen Qiufan Bullshit Jobs: A Theory; by David Graeber Tao Te Ching; by Lao Tzu Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek; by Manu Saadia Waste Tide; by Chen Qiufan

Todd Goodwin is the founder of Goodwin Hypnosis, a hypnosis center based in North Carolina. He is a Board Certified Fellow of the National Guild of Hypnotists, a designation earned by only one in every 500 hypnotists. As well as working with thousands of clients since opening Goodwin Hypnosis in 2007, Todd has co-facilitated hypnosis certification courses, created a book and accompanying 30-day hypnosis system designed to stop people from smoking, and given numerous presentations on hypnosis to physicians, students, and medical staff. Todd joins the show to discuss some of the common myths & misconceptions around hypnosis. Important Links: Goodwin Hypnosis Goodwin Hypnosis' YouTube The Thinker and the Prover Our episode on Dr John Sarno The Six Stage Model of Behaviour Change Show Notes: Hypnosis in our everyday lives Why isn't hypnosis more widely used? "I don't want someone in my head" "I can't be hypnotized" Targeting the root causes of behavior Tension between the conscious & the unconscious How secondary gains can obstruct progress How to clear root fear Using language to elicit change Be curious about yourself; remember that you are worthy of love MORE! Books Mentioned: Healing Back Pain; by John E. Sarno Influence: Science and Practice; by Robert Cialdini Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming; by Richard Bandler and John Grinder

Nat & Martha Sharpe have been a creative team for over a decade. Nat was a film school graduate and Martha a storytelling enthusiast. They fell in love while filming a musical parody of "Beowulf" with their friends. After another comedy and two documentaries, they started having children. Focus shifted from art to survival. Together, they learned to code, got off food stamps, and traveled around America in an RV. Today, Nat and Martha homeschool their 5 kids and are eager to explore alternative education, expand their comfort zones, and—as always—make movies. Nat & Martha were the first recipients of an O'Shaughnessy Fellowship, which is a one-year program for ambitious people who want to build something great. Fellows receive a $100,000 grant and access to OSV's network of founders, investors and experts to support them in bringing their projects to life. Nat & Martha are using their fellowship grant to study and make documentary films of alternative childhood education schools. Important Links: The O'Shaughnessy Fellowships Nat & Martha's Website Nat & Martha's Twitter Nat & Martha's O'Shaughnessy Fellowship Application Video Nat & Martha's YouTube Channel OSV's investment in Synthesis School Show Notes: Nat & Martha's origin story How education is connected to community "Kids want to survive, they want to thrive, they want to learn" Education vs indoctrination Screen time isn't the problem & why unschooled children become entrepreneurs The magic blue bus Finding the others What caused the rise in helicopter parenting? The conflict between agency & community It can be hard to give people money Learning by doing; in-demand learning How can we monetize the best teachers in the world? How AI is going to transform education What's next? MUCH more! Books Mentioned: One Summer: America, 1927; by Bill Bryson

Jason Crawford is the founder & president of The Roots of Progress, a nonprofit dedicated to establishing a new philosophy of progress for the 21st century. Jason has written well over 100 essays on the history of technology and the philosophy of progress, and given numerous talks and interviews on the same. He joins the show to discuss whether humans deserve progress, how to make progress cool, the two types of optimism, and more! Important Links: The Roots of Progress Jason's Website Jason's Twitter Discourse on the Arts and Sciences; by Jean-Jacques Rousseau Triumph of the Nerds Why I'm a proud solutionist Show Notes: Why do we need progress studies? Are humans conditioned to resist progress? Increasing the burden of safety What the Roots of Progress is seeking to achieve How can we make progress cool? Pessimism of the intellect; optimism of the will Do we deserve progress? Progress & politics Steelmanning the case against progress How can we defend against bad actors? Calibrating our approach to risk MUCH more! Books Mentioned: Frankenstein; by Mary Shelley Erewhon; by Samuel Butler Darwin Among The Machines; by Samuel Butler The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World; by David Deutsch The Ultimate Resource; by Julian L. Simon The Collapse of the Common Good: How America's Lawsuit Culture Undermines Our Freedom; by Philip K. Howard The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams The Jungle; by Upton Sinclair One Summer: America, 1927; by Bill Bryson

David Pinsof is an evolutionary social scientist and a co-creator of the game Cards Against Humanity. He holds a PhD in Psychology from UCLA, where he studied the evolutionary origins of political bullshit, and has written a handful of academic papers, one of which has been cited 152 times and another of which was quoted in the New York Times. David is the author of the 'Everything Is Bullshit' Substack, which aims to poke holes in the stories we tell ourselves. He joins the show to discuss why happiness & morality are bullshit, the difference between bullshit & lying, why we conceal the status monkey, and more! Important Links: David's Twitter David's Substack; Everything is Bullshit Cards Against Humanity The Execution Hypothesis; by Richard Wrangham Discordianism Our podcast with George Mack Our podcast with Will Storr Show Notes: What is bullshit? The difference between bullshitting and lying Why moralizing is bullshit Concealing the status monkey The origins of Cards Against Humanity How are status games changing? Why happiness is bullshit Happiness as a status symbol How can we escape bullshit? Why we're driven by negative emotions How to become more positive The role of humor in calling out bullshit MUCH more! Books Mentioned: On Bullshit; by Harry G. Frankfurt Propaganda; by Edward Bernays Influence: Science and Practice; by Robert Cialdini The Moral Animal: Why We Are The Way We Are; by Robert Wright The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It; by Will Storr The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition Into the Forces of History; by Howard Bloom Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment Happy; by Derren Brown Tao Te Ching; by Lao Tzu Gödel, Escher, Bach; by Douglas Hofstadter

Dylan O'Sullivan is a writer and media specialist based in Cork, Ireland. Dylan's work has been published in magazines such as The Spectator and Areo. He is also the creator of Essayful, a Substack dedicated to becoming "a new home for writing." Following his participation in David Perell's Write of Passage course last year, Dylan joined us as an intern at O'Shaughnessy Ventures. He joins the show to discuss the problem with traditional education, the blurry border between fiction & nonfiction, how AI is going to impact writing, why Ireland has such cultural influence, and more! Important Links: Dylan's Twitter Essayful Write of Passage Show Notes: Losing the O's The collapse of the old institutions An introduction to Essayful "There's nothing new under the sun." The blurry border between fiction & nonfiction Rebuilding the Tower of Babel A book as a living thing How is AI going to impact writing? Why Dylan took Write of Passage Why are academic papers so hard to read? Why does Ireland have such cultural influence? What's next? More! Books Mentioned: Old God's Time; by Sebastian Barry Unflattening; by Nick Sousanis The Island of Saints and Scholars; Sean McMahon Ulysses; by James Joyce

After starting his career on a market stall in Essex, John Sills has spent the last twenty-five years working to make the world a better place for customers. John is the Managing Partner at the customer-led growth company The Foundation, and his writing has also been featured in publications such as The Guardian and Management Today. He joins the show to discuss his thought-provoking and timely new book The Human Experience: How to make life better for your customers and create a more successful organization. Important Links: John's Website John's Twitter John's Substack Show Notes: John's time working on an Essex market stall Human vs functional customer experience What's blocking the human experience? Why do leaders stay away from the frontline? Escaping Vogonization Does the human experience scale? The benefits of starting from first principles Why companies should empower their staff The link between curiosity, creativity & customer experience Why aren't companies changing & why aren't more startups disrupting? Are frictionless customer experiences desirable? The myth of customer loyalty Tech upgrades & immersion MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Human Experience: How to make life better for your customers and create a more successful organization; by John Sills The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism; by Howard Bloom The Customer Copernicus: How to be Customer-Led; by Charlie Dawson The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams

Billy Oppenheimer is a researcher for Ryan Holiday. He is also known for his viral long-form tweets and Six at 6 on Sunday newsletter. Billy is insatiably curious. He is a master at drawing lessons from anecdotes from the worlds of sports, music, comedy, business, and more. He joins the show to discuss how to cultivate good taste, whether everything is a remix, why he learns through introjection, and a whole lot more. Important Links: Six at 6 on Sunday Billy's Twitter Billy's website Our episodes with David Senra (1, 2) 'A Bicycle of the Mind' - Steve Jobs on the Computer Our episode with Edward Rooster To His Coy Mistress; by Andrew Marvell Kubla Khan; by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Show Notes: Focus on doing the thing SIX at 6's origin story Learning through introjection Developing taste & cultivating curiosity "People don't have ideas, ideas have people" How Billy practices his scales Fiction vs non-fiction Repetition, repetition, repetition Should we study more failures? Process compounds "Care, but don't care too much" Has anyone succeeded without persistence? Conceptual ancestors Everything's a remix Taste, tools, markets & feedback Finding your pain points MUCH more! Books Mentioned: Trust Me, I'm Lying; by Ryan Holiday Psychology of Money; by Morgan Housel Atomic Habits; by James Clear The Immortality Key : The Secret History of the Religion with No Name; by Brian C. Muraresku Reality Hunger; by David Shields The Power of Myth; by Joseph Campbell & Bill Moyers Cloud Atlas; by David Mitchell The Great Gatsby; by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Da Vinci Code; by Dan Brown

Friend-of-the-show (and new O'Shaughnessy Ventures team member) Liberty RPF joins Jim and fellow friend-of-the-show Jimmy Soni to discuss the current state of the publishing industry and the new opportunities emerging for current and aspiring authors. Important Links: Jimmy's Website Jimmy's Twitter Liberty's Newsletter Liberty's Twitter 10 Reasons Why I'm Publishing My Next Book on Substack Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time Show Notes: How has the publishing industry changed? Reinventing the audiobook The living book Towards new book pricing models Why the traditional publishing industry is becoming unsustainable The tragedy of unwritten books A rejection from a traditional publisher is meaningless What do traditional publishers do well? The importance being invested in the success of a product Leveraging AI & other tools in the writing process Why the publishing industry is successful Increasing the power of individual creators Change, prestige & disruption Playing the right kind of status games Aligning quality with meritocracy MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Founders; by Jimmy Soni A Mind at Play; by Jimmy Soni & Rob Goodman Rome's Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar; by Jimmy Soni & Rob Goodman What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy Invest Like The Best; by Jim O'Shaughnessy Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds; by David Goggins The Psychology of Money; by Morgan Housel The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich; by Tim Feriss Harry Potter; by J. K. Rowling Reality Hunger; by David Shields $100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No; by Alex Hormozi The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It; by Will Storr

Alex Danco returns for his seventh (yes, SEVENTH) appearance on Infinite Loops to discuss, as usual, pretty much everything other than the topics we had prepared in advance. This week, we discuss: The two types of lawyers, what Alex learned from reading Don Quixote, Elon the Reply Guy, the psychology of Seinfeld, the best Wall Street Movies, and much more. Important Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alex_Danco Website: https://alexdanco.com/ Newsletter: https://danco.substack.com/ Show Notes: The two kinds of lawyers Medicine, placebo, Don Quixote & theatre Heroes, villains & main characters Elon the Reply Guy Safe words, scams & narrative collapse Self-deception is multiplayer The psychology of Seinfeld To what extent are great innovations already baked into the systems? Margin Call: The two schools of thought The best Wall Street movies MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Theory And Practice Of Gamesmanship Or The Art Of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating; by Stephen Potter Don Quixote; by Miguel de Cervantes The Fifth Science; by Exurb1a The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It; by Will Storr The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History; by Howard K. Bloom Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships; by Eric Berne Mendel's Dwarf; by Simon Mawer The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine; by Michael Lewis The Bonfire of the Vanities; by Tom Wolfe The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron; by Peter Elkind & Bethany McLean

Gurwinder Bhogal is a writer and programmer who writes about the myriad ways in which technology and psychology conspire to fool us and how we can withstand the covert assault on our senses. Gurwinder is known for his epic Twitter 'Megathreads' which set out a series of powerful concepts for understanding the world. He joins the show to discuss our tendency to narrativize information, how to overcome the bandwidth tax, why Wikipedia is the world's largest source of misinformation, and MUCH more! Important Links: Megathread: Feb 7, 2020 (53,000 likes) Megathread: Feb 11, 2022 (62,000 likes) Megathread: March 18, 2023 (most recent) Gurwinder's Substack Gurwinder's Twitter The Toxoplasma of Rage Show Notes: Megathreads & the Woozle effect AI, the Encyclopedia Disinformatica, and cultivating a garden of Mithridates Capturing the nuance between dishonesty and lying The Toxoplasma of Rage Overcoming the bandwidth tax Brandishing the golden hammer; why we can't comprehend large numbers Tribalism & intersubjectivity The purity spiral Are we facing a lost generation? We are programmed to like complex explanations Narrativizing information "Certainty is the death of thought" Climbing the thinking ladder MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Fifth Science; by Exurb1a Talking to Strangers; by Malcolm Gladwell Tao Te Ching; by Lao Tzu What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies; by Tim Urban

This week, we're delighted to welcome Ed Latimore back for his second Infinite Loops appearance. Ed is a best-selling author, former professional heavyweight boxer, competitive chess player, Physics graduate, father, and husband. He joins us to discuss stoicism, progress & pain, demonstrating authenticity, being liked vs. being respected, and a whole lot more. Important Links: Ed's Twitter Ed's website Ed's Substack Ed's first Infinite Loops appearance Show Notes: New child; new house; new book How Ed's new book has developed Humor and progress Understanding addiction Being liked vs being respected "Stoicism found me" Is progress possible without pain? "Humans are very bad at the future" Demonstrating authenticity Being cast as a father figure What's next for Ed Ed's three step process for self-improvement "I don't think any situation has ever gotten worse because someone has good manners." Books Mentioned: The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs who Shaped Silicon Valley; by Jimmy Soni The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance; by Josh Waitzkin Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds; by David Goggins The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life; by Mark Manson

Edward Rooster is one of our favourite writers. His themes include the future, mythology, time and history. He has written two books, Box of Stars and Harvest, and he is currently working on a third. Edward joins the show to discuss embracing uncertainty, avoiding becoming Icarus, unsticking yourself from time, and MUCH more! Important Links: Edward's Mirror Edward's Substack Edward's Typeshare Edward's Twitter The Days Dad Started Over Leaving Eternity's Parking Lot You Do Not Have to Be Perfect Looking Back from the Future Show Notes: The Days Dad Started Over: Why Edward started writing Edward's book writing process Unsticking yourself from time Sources of storytelling inspiration Embracing uncertainty Avoiding the content trap The 'create you own adventure' approach to writing [Finding inspiration in music] Storytelling & common knowledge Writing as found art Not as much matters as we think it does How can we avoid becoming Icarus? Editing; Editors The opportunities of generative AI MUCH more! Books Mentioned: Stray Reflections; by Jawad Mian Box of Stars; by Edward Rooster Harvest; by Edward Rooster Retrieve; by Edward Rooster What Works on Wall Street: A Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time; by Jim O'Shaughnessy Cloud Atlas; by David Mitchell The Great Gatsby; by F. Scott Fitzgerald American Gods; by Neil Gaiman Reality Hunger; by David Shields Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; by Robert Pirsig Looking Backward; by Edward Bellamy

Venkatesh Rao is a writer, consultant, and author. He has been writing about indie consulting for years and has recently published The Art of Gig, Volumes 1 & 2, which together take an in-depth look at the gig economy. Venkatesh joins the show to discuss tragic luck, becoming slightly nonsensical, the advantages of mediocrity, and a whole lot more! Important Links: Venkatesh's Website Venkatesh's Blog Venkatesh's Substack Venkatesh's Twitter The Art of Gig The Art of Gig: our synthesis The Gervais Principle Show Notes: Origins of The Art of Gig Paycheck People Learning how to take risks Is there a risk-taking gene? The case for fixed-point futurism Finding meaning Personality types, narrative, and becoming a courageous thinker Don't get tragically lucky Generational agency Sparring, pressure and meaning-making Be slightly nonsensical Teaching others to appreciate randomness Towards infinite games; be mediocre Understanding divergentism MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Art of Gig: Volumes 1 & 2; by Venkatesh Rao The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich; by Tim Feriss Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself; by Daniel H. Pink The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story For Work and Life; by Paul Millerd Tempo: timing, tactics and strategy in narrative-driven decision-making; by Venkatesh Rao The Redemptive Self: Stories Americans Live By; by Dan P. McAdams Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life As Play and Possibility; by James Carse Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity; by David Allen

Ananyo Bhattacharya is the author of The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John von Neumann, a brilliant biography of one of the most prolific and influential scientists to have ever lived. He joins the show to discuss von Neumann's contributions to quantum physics, game theory, the Manhattan Project, and much more! Important Links: Ananyo's Twitter The Man from the Future Show Notes: How did John von Neumann even exist? Would von Neumann's discoveries have happened without him? The Martians of Hungary The migrant mentality Innovation in the face of extinction Science, genius & the herd mentality Von Neumann's contribution to quantum physics Game theory, Minimax and zero-sum games von Neumann: quant in the streets; romantic in the sheets The eccentricity of brilliance Von Neumann and the Manhattan Project The godfather of the open-source movement Von Neumann as a project manager How writing the book changed Ananyo's understanding of von Neumann Ananyo's next projects MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John von Neumann; **by **Ananyo Bhattacharya The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World; by David Deutsch The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism; by Howard Bloom Theory of Games and Economic Behaviour; by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern

Michael Breitenbach is Senior Vice President within the Chief Investment Office at Bank of America Global Wealth and Investment Management, where he is responsible for leading development of quantitative infrastructure and machine learning models for evaluating both internally and externally covered investment offerings. He is also the man behind an extremely popular anonymous Twitter account that many of you will be familiar with (see if you can guess which one…) Michael joins the show to discuss the FTX fallout, the current state of the crypto industry, the rise of AI compliance, and MUCH more! Important Links: Michael's LinkedIn Michael's (personal) Twitter Show Notes: FTX: grift or systemic failure? The decline of old media AI compliance & regulation Crypto: use cases, privacy & regulation The end of privacy Dealing with new and better problems Scale vs anti-scale Cynicism can be a comparative advantage Against binary thinking Time binding & cultural evolution Consider taxation Books Mentioned: The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Art of Disruption; by Sebastian Mallaby Time-Binding: The General Theory; by Alfred Korzybski

Visakan Veerasamy is a prolific thinker, writer & creator. As well as being the author of the books 'Introspect' and 'Friendly Ambitious Nerd', he is known for weaving huge, interconnected Twitter threads and for his mission to build "the greatest social graph of friendly, ambitious nerds that the world has ever seen." Important Links: Visa's Website Visa's Twitter Visa's Youtube Show Notes: The origins of Friendly Ambitious Nerd "The most heroic thing you can do is not hate yourself" Confronting the minotaur Introspection & Maslow's hierarchy of needs Overriding human OS Humor is the cure How to demonstrate the power of humor Dealing with judgment & criticism Responding to requests for help Enforcing a no-assholes rule "Focus your time and energy on what you want to see more of" "School is bullshit" Question defaults & screw around MUCH more! Books Mentioned: Friendly Ambitious Nerd; by Visakan Veerasamy Introspect; by Visakan Veerasamy The Science of Storytelling; by Will Storr The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It; by Will Storr The Hero with a Thousand Faces; by Joseph Campbell Shantaram; by Gregory David Roberts The Art of War; by Sun Tzu The Tao Te Ching; by Laozi The Lord of the Rings; by J. R. R. Tolkien

Friends-of-the-show David Senra & Liberty RPF return for a characteristically wide-ranging conversation. Enjoy! Important Links Founders Podcast Founders on Colossus David's Twitter Liberty's Substack Liberty's Twitter David Bowie Predicts the Impact of the Internet on Newsnight Show Notes: David's lunch with Sam Zell Optimizing for freedom Information can build a fortune Persist, persist, persist Burning the ships Customising education Where are the Teddy Roosevelt's of today? Embracing our evangelical side "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see" Fighting fear of technological development Is anything truly 'new'? "Properly understood technology is just a better way to do something" Towards positive sum games How to cultivate voluntary engagement Unleashing the scenius Finding better explanations Risk-taking and the origins of the USA The explore and create framework Read biographies MUCH more! Books Mentioned: Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel; by Sam Zell The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey; by Candice Millard Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill; by Candice Millard Cinema Speculation; by Quentin Tarantino Christopher Nolan: The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work; by Ian Nathan The WEIRDest People in the World; by Joseph Henrich Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future; by Peter Thiel The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie; by Andrew Carnegie All I Want To Know Is Where I'm Going To Die So I'll Never Go There: Buffett & Munger - A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense; by Peter Bevelin The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness; by Eric Jorgenson Enzo Ferrari 2018: Power, Politics and the Making of an Automobile Empire; by Luca Dal Monte The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World; by David Deutsch One Summer: America, 1927; by Bill Bryson

Dwarkesh Patel is the host of The Lunar Society podcast, where he interviews scientists, historians, economists, intellectuals, & founders about their ideas. He also writes about tech, progress, talent, science, and the long-term over at his Substack. Dwarkesh has been described as "one of the best young podcasters alive", and his Substack has been praised by the likes of Jeff Bezos, Paul Graham and Tyler Cowen. Important Links: The Lunar Society Dwarkesh' Twitter The Mystery of the Miracle Year Popularizers are intellectual market makers Scouting talent as buying options Show Notes: How to become a better podcaster The importance of curiosity Disagreement & problem solving "Computer programs are written by humans for other humans to read, and only incidentally for computers to execute" The difference between podcasting & essay writing Investing in public and private companies; human OS Premeditation & decision-making The mystery of the miracle year How much innovation is baked into the cake? How to cultivate young talent AI & education The importance of intellectual market makers Scouting talent as buying options Interviewing Sam Bankman-Fried Effective altruism & virtue signalling If you do everything, you will win Books Mentioned: The Years of Lyndon Johnson; by Robert Caro What Works on Wall Street: A Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time; by Jim O'Shaughnessy Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve; by Lenora Chu Outliers: The Story of Success; by Malcolm Gladwell One Summer: America, 1927; by Bill Bryson The Lessons of History; by Will & Ariel Durant The Story of Civilization; by Will & Ariel Durant Fallen Leaves: Last Words on Life, Love, War, and God; by Will Durant

David Ha is the Head of Strategy at Stability AI, and one of the top minds working in AI today. He previously worked as a research scientist in the Brain team at Google. David is particularly interested in evolution and complex systems, and his research explores how intelligence may emerge from limited resource constraints. He joins the show to discuss the advantages of open-source models, modelling AI as an emergent system, why large language models are bad at maths and MUCH more! Important Links: David's website David's Twitter Teaching Machines to Draw (2017) Weight Agnostic Neural Networks (2019) Show Notes: Why David joined Stability AI The advantages of open-source models We cannot predict the inventions of tomorrow Making memes with generative AI The centaur approach to AI An introduction to large language models The relationship between complex systems and resource constraints Large language models are bad at maths Modelling AI as an emergent system Understanding different perspectives MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World; by David Deutsch Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective; by Kenneth Stanley and Joel Lehman

Jesse Michels is an investor at Thiel Capital and the creator and host of 'American Alchemy', a Youtube channel dedicated to highlighting the most heretical thinkers and ideas of our time. He joins the show to discuss the transmission theory of consciousness, whether mushrooms are aliens, the reawakening of the Boomers and MUCH more! Important Links: American Alchemy Jesse's Twitter Show Notes: The modern-day Robert Anton Wilson Why Jesse started American Alchemy The transmission theory of consciousness Why mushrooms may have catalysed human civilisation Paradigm shifts and heretical thinking Are mushrooms aliens? Nixon, psychedelics & brainwashing The reawakening of the Boomers AGI, qualia & quantum physics AI, learned helplessness & Twitter The power of curiosity Reality is a compressed version of something much larger. MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Half-Life of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date; by Samuel Arbesman The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size; by Tor Norretranders Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid; by Douglas Hofstadter The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World; by David Deutsch The Immortality Key : The Secret History of the Religion with No Name; by Brian C. Muraresku The New Inquisition: Irrational Rationalism and the Citadel of Science; by Robert Anton Wilson How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression and Transcendence; by Michael Pollan Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties; by Tom O'Neill Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & the Dark Heart of the Hippie Dream; by David McGowan Prometheus Rising; by Robert Anton Wilson Quantum Psychology: How Brain Software Programs You & Your World; by Robert Anton Wilson The Cosmic Trigger trilogy; by Robert Anton Wilson Communion: A True Story; by Whitley Strieber

Mark Nelson is the Managing Director of Radiant Energy Group, a consultancy which advises governments, nonprofits and industry about nuclear energy. He joins the show to discuss Chernobyl the memes vs Chernobyl the molecules, introducing nuclear festivals, adopting an abundance mindset, and a whole lot more. Important Links: Mark's Twitter Radiant Energy Group Mark's LinkedIn Show Notes: Why does the nuclear industry have a confidence problem? Electricity deaths vs nuclear deaths Chernobyl the memes vs Chernobyl the molecules How do we create better nuclear memes? Bureaucracy and the precautionary principle Steelmanning the case against nuclear power Recency bias, human OS and high visibility events The story of Three Mile Island Introducing nuclear festivals Wind and solar is not essential for the grid Take memes seriously Disambiguating nuclear weapons from nuclear power Tying financial needs with energy needs Escaping Mad Max How can we encourage an abundance mindset? Bipartisan enthusiasm for nuclear power MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World; by David Deutsch

Author, CEO of VUDU Marketing and digital nomad Sam McRoberts returns for his second appearance on Infinite Loops. This week, Sam and Jim discuss Sam's latest book 'The Grand Redesign'. Part science-fiction, part operating manual for upgrading human OS, 'The Grand Redesign' touches on a number of recurring Infinite Loops themes, and is available for free online (see 'Important Links' section below). Important Links: The Grand Redesign Sam's Twitter Sam's Substack The Thinker and The Prover Tinkered Thinking's winning entry to our 'White Mirror' competition Show Notes: Why Sam wrote the book Is the Watcher a reliable narrator? Interfering with complex systems An overview of Social OS Why we need White Mirror The kindness pledge Incentives and the Cobra Effect How do we break the Shannon limit? Jim's movie idea Improving the political and legal system The opportunities of AI Optimising our system for flourishing Finding the hidden geniuses Sam's solutions; reaching the tipping point Sam's hopes for the book MUCH more! Books Mentioned: The Grand Redesign; by Sam McRoberts The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It; by Will Storr Prometheus Rising; by Robert Anton Wilson House of Cards: Psychology and Psychotherapy Built on Myth; by Robyn Dawes The Lessons of History: by Will Durant and Ariel Durant Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine; by Derren Brown The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future; by Kevin Kelly

Cliff Asness is the Founder, Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer at AQR Capital Management. Prior to co-founding AQR Capital Management, he was a Managing Director and Director of Quantitative Research for the Asset Management Division of Goldman, Sachs & Co. Cliff joins the show to discuss FTX, AMC , why hedge funds aren't hedging, the role of index funds and a whole lot more. Important Links: Cliff's Twitter Cliff's Blog AQR Capital Management Do Hedge Funds Hedge? Show Notes: Cliff's take on FTX and crypto The AMC saga HODL and the MOASS Finding the right media format for substantive investment conversations Thoughts on the value spread "We don't want a world where markets are perfect" Hedge funds aren't hedging The role of index funds Never override a model "Study statistics and stick to your principles" Books Mentioned: What Works on Wall Street: A Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time; by Jim O'Shaughnessy

Ben Tossell writes Ben's Bites, a daily newsletter on AI that's read by over 15,000 others from Google, a16z, Sequoia, Amazon, Meta and more. He previously founded Makerpad, a no-code education side which was acquired by Zapier in March 2021. Important Links: Ben's Newsletter Ben's Twitter Show Notes: Ben's journey into AI The importance of ease of use How AI will impact our lives Ben's hackathon Balancing originality and usefulness Why Ben is wary of providing strategic advice Achieving ground-up change with AI Interaction between the AI industry and the governments How Ben wants AI to be used Following your curiosity Making the world more competitive MUCH more!

We've landed. After 3 months of stealth mode, sneak-peeks, and surprise announcements, we have finally hit launch day. In this special episode of Infinite Loops, hosted by Patrick O'Shaughnessy, Jim chats through the rationale behind founding OSV, the positive impact he wants it to have on the world, and the ways you can get involved. Important Links: OSV's Website Jim's Twitter Show Notes: The origins of OSV Why OSV does not invest third parties' money The story of Jim's investment in Stability AI What has surprised Jim the most about the world of AI What OSV will look like on 1 January 2023: the four verticals Assembling the OSV team OSV's objective function Where the majority of Jim's energy will be directed How you can get involved with OSV

Tom Morgan returns for his third appearance on Infinite Loops with Jim, Infinite Loops' own Ed William and special guest Brett Andersen, an evolutionary psychology PhD student at the University of New Mexico. We discuss the implications of the ideas presented in Brett's fantastic essay 'Intimations of a New Worldview', whether the rise of anti-heroes is a challenge to Campbell's Hero's Journey, the influence of conscious vs unconscious design, and much more. Important Links: Intimations of a New Worldview Brett's Substack Brett's Twitter Tom's blog Tom's Twitter Awakening from the Meaning Crisis Show Notes: Objective vs subjective morality Complexity as a precondition Biological complexification Complexification and social selection Relevance realisation Jordan Peterson's 'Maps of Meaning' and the metamyth The optimal path and the process of creation The cognitive purpose of supernatural beliefs Mapping a response to the meaning crisis Quantum entanglement and consciousness Practical implications of Brett's theory Cultural evolution Conscious vs unconscious design There is an underlying flow of things Breaking Bad and the Hero's Journey Slack vs tension MUCH more! Books Mentioned: Meaning in Life and Why It Matters; by Susan Wolf The Romance of Reality: How the Universe Organizes Itself to Create Life, Consciousness, and Cosmic Complexity; by Bobby Azarian The Life of the Cosmos; by Lee Smolin Evolution's Arrow: the direction of evolution and the future of humanity; by John Stewart Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny; by Robert Wright The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature; by Geoffrey Miller Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief; by Jordan Peterson Zombies in Western Culture: A Twenty-First Century Crisis; by John Vervaeke Principia Mathematica; by Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World; by Iain McGilchrist The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous; by The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism; by Howard Bloom Life Finds A Way: What Evolution Teaches Us About Creativity; by Andreas Wagner Tao Te Ching; by Laozing

Brom Rector is the founder of Empath Ventures, a VC fund that in invests in early-stage psychedelics startups. Prior to founding Empath, Brom sent several years as a portfolio manager and quantitative researcher. Brom joins the show to discuss the current state of the psychedelics industry, the lessons learned founding a VC fund, the differences between psychedelics and cannabis, and a whole lot more. Important Links: Empath Ventures Brom's LinkedIn Brom's Twitter The Brom Podcast Show Notes: How Brom became interested in psychedelic investing Psychedelics and the mental health epidemic Depoliticising psychedelics Empath Ventures' business model How we can scientifically improve psychedelics The influence of hippie culture A contrarian view on Big Pharma The potential benefits of ibogaine The differences between cannabis and psychedelics Do some people not react to psychedelics? Brom's thoughts on microdosing Lessons learned from founding a VC company The benefits of Rule 506(c) Books Mentioned: How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence; by Michael Pollan Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection; by John E. Sarno MD

Ahead of the release of the next episode of his lecture series on René Girard, Johnathan Bi returns for his second appearance on the show. He and Jim discuss Girard, prestige, innovation, AI, and much more. Enjoy! Important Links: Johnathan's website Johnathan's Twitter Johnathan's lecture series with David Perell Our research note on Johnathan Johnathan's first appearance on the show Show Notes: The Girardian notion of prestige What proof is there for mimesis? The difference between mimesis and status signalling Philosophical critiques of Girard Girard on innovation Historical understandings of innovation A conversation between a pessimist and an optimist AI, progress and the panopticon Could we ban innovation? Books Mentioned: The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It; by Will Storr The Alchemy of Finance; by George Soros The Laws of Imitation; by Gabriel Tarde When These Things Begin: Conversations with Michel Treguer; by René Girard The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World; by David Deutsch The Invention of Improvement: Information and Material Progress in Seventeenth-Century England; by Paul Slack Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future; by Peter Thiel

Rohit is a VC and essayist who writes fascinating, thought-provoking essays on complexity, progress, innovation and technology over at Strange Loop Canon. He joins the show for a second time to discuss the lessons learned from the FTX meltdown, why there isn't a philosophy of business, creating an AI picture book, and a whole lot more. Important Links: Rohit's Twitter Rohit's Substack Our research note on Rohit Show Notes: What can VCs learn from FTX? FTX, hubris and good manners "Don't let anyone push you into a decision that you don't want to make" Signing up to the right narratives Why you can't beat the market Why isn't there a philosophy of business? Markets, desire and innovation How AI allows us to talk to machines in our language The complexities of the AI sentience debate How AI unlocks new outlets for creativity The need for positive stories The three components of innovation "Curiosity is a shit starter" Finding new ways to create community Openness and experimentation MUCH more! Books Mentioned: What Works on Wall Street: A Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time; by Jim O'Shaughnessy The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism; by Howard Bloom Unflattening; by Nick Sousanis Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the 20th Century; by Brad DeLong American Gods; by Neil Gaiman Lessons: A Novel; by Ian McEwan

Julia is the co-founder of Rosetta Analytics Inc, "an alternative asset manager that is pioneering the use of advanced artificial intelligence to build and actively manage liquid investment strategies." Prior to co-founding Rosetta, Julia served as President of Wilshire Consulting and was a member of Wilshire's Board of Directors and Consulting Investment Committee. Julia joins the show to take a deep dive into deep reinforcement learning and Rosetta's pioneering work using AI as the basis of its investment strategies. Important Links: Rosetta Analytics Julia's LinkedIn Show Notes: Julia's journey from Wilshire to Rosetta Defining deep reinforcement learning AI and non-linear thinking Using adaptive models Overcoming the human need for 'why' Pitching deep reinforcement learning models to new investors Telling positive stories about AI; improving our discourse "Wake up and look for the joy"; "overcoming fear is the biggest barrier to success" Books Mentioned: What Works on Wall Street: A Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time; by Jim O'Shaughnessy The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World; by David Deutsch The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy - What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America's Next Rendezvous with Destiny; by William Strauss and Neil Howe

Creator and curator Liberty RPF returns for his second appearance on Infinite Loops. He and Jim discuss the art of curation, the opportunities and risks of AI, the curse of creativity, the future of learning, and MUCH more!

Title: Description: Lulu Cheng Meservey is the Chief Communications Officer and Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Activision Blizzard. She joins Infinite Loops to provide us with a masterclass in communications for startups. A must-listen for current and aspiring founders. Important Links: • Lulu's Twitter • Lulu's Substack Show Notes: • Why people write hit pieces • The insurgency framework • How to access your audience's neural real estate • How to develop a spontaneous elevator pitch • Tips for becoming better at reading the room • Speak directly and take the hits • Defining business objectives • Learning from other industries • Personalising your message • Overcoming resistance to the unknown, what Christianity can teach us about comms • Escaping corporate jargon • How comms resembles rugby • Taking ownership of comms • Moving to a new model of comms • "Don't let things happen to you. Go and happen to things." Books Mentioned: • The Network State: How To Start a New Country; by Balaji S. Srinivasan • The Hero with a Thousand Faces; by Joseph Campbell

"With enough curiosity, self-confidence is irrelevant." Tinkered Thinking is a writer, artist, author and creator. He is also the worthy winner of our 'White Mirror' competition. His writing includes a series of 'Lucilius Parables', short stories dispersed throughout time and space designed to help readers reconceptualise their experience of being alive. He joined the show to discuss writing, technology, curiosity, optimism and MUCH more! Important Links: Website Twitter The Lucilius Parables, Volume I The Lucilius Parables, Volume II The Century of the Self: Happiness Machines - Adam Curtis Show Notes: The origin of Lucilius Why write short stories? Fear and human nature Technology, progress and optimism Where is the positive poetry of today? The momentum metric How to rebrand Guatemala White Mirror Choose your disposition The power of curiosity The question as a concept Hope grows foolish with no doing Books Mentioned: The Lucilius Parables, Volume I; by Tinkered Thinking The Lucilius Parables, Volume II; by Tinkered Thinking The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory; by Brian Greene The Fifth Science; by Exurb1a Foundation; by Isaac Asimov Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; by Bob Pirsig The Beginning of Infinity; by David Deutsch Language in Thought and Action; by S.I. Hayakawa Screw the Zoo: Escape From Your Cage, Free Your Mind, and Take Over the World; by Sam McRoberts Unflattening; by Nick Sousanis Atomic Habits; by James Clear The Power of Habit; by Charles Duhigg The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams The Egg; by Andy Weir The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James Awakening: Conversations with the Masters; by Anthony De Mello Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment; by Jed McKenna

Edward Slingerland is a University Scholar and Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia. He has authored a number of books, including 'Trying Not to Try' and 'Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization'. He joins the show to discuss the paradox of effortless action, the history of Chinese philosophy, the benefits of alcohol, and a whole lot more. Important Links: Edward's Twitter Edward's Website Drunk Trying Not to Try Show Notes: The paradox of trying not to try Western equivalents to wu-wei The difference between wu-wei and flow How to cultivate wu-wei How technology makes it harder to find wu-wei Why were Confucianism and Daoism so successful? Utilitarianism, China and the panopticon The right amount of rationality, choking Shutting down the prefrontal cortext The evolutionary origins of our love of alcohol The power of psychedelics Ecological niches, cooperation, creativity and honesty An alternative model of honesty Stop pushing so hard, go walk in the woods Books Mentioned: Trying Not to Try: The Ancient Art of Effortlessness and the Surprising Power of Spontaneity; by Edward Slingerland Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization; by Edward Slingerland The Dao De Jing; by Laozi The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It; by Will Storr The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better; by Will Storr The Master and His Emissary; by Iain McGilchrist Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To; by Sian Beilock The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name; by Brian C. Muraresku

Jeremiah Lowin is the founder & CEO of Prefect, a dataflow automation company. Jeremiah joins Jim for his second appearance on Infinite Loops to discuss executing, storytelling, artificial intelligence and, of course, puns. Important Links: Prefect.io Disney Research Hub The story of the fake statue of Venus Show Notes: Slack, puns and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Planning, executing and the story of Prefect in 2022 Why naming things is a superpower If you can't pivot, you're dead Make original mistakes AI, storytelling, deep fakes and open source Books Mentioned: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy The Beginning of Infinity; by David Deutsch

Herbert is a writer and editorial director who has been writing online since he was 15. He is the editor of 'The World According to Kanye' and has written for publications such as Forge, TIME and Quartz. Herbert joins the show to discuss his book 'Creative Doing: 75 Practical Exercises to Unblock Your Creative Potential in Your Work, Hobby, or Next Career', and to share some practical, actionable methods of harnessing the creative impulses that lie inside us all. Important Links: Herbert's Twitter Herbert's Website Creative Doing Show Notes: "Think less; do more" Adapting to social media "Don't make the bad the enemy of the good" "Doing is thinking" The strongest case for thinking over doing The role of the subconscious in the creative process The Madman and the Judge What initial steps can an aspiring creator take? Is there such a thing as natural creativity? "Quality is a word smart people use to procrastinate" Unifying the Madman and the Judge Why do societies try to crush creativity out of people? Why we are all creative Books Mentioned: Creative Doing: 75 Practical Exercises to Unblock Your Creative Potential in Your Work, Hobby, or Next Career; by Herbert Lui Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective; by Kenneth O. Stanley and Joel Lehman The Love Song of J. Alfred Profrock; by T.S. Eliot The I Ching Tao Te Ching; by Laozi Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; by Robert M. Pirsig

Emad Mostaque is the founder and CEO of Stability AI, the company behind Stable Diffusion. Emad joins Stability AI's recently announced Executive Chair of the board of directors Jim O'Shaughnessy to discuss the future of AI, the benefits of open source software, and much more. Important Links: Stability AI Stable Diffusion Launch Announcement Stability AI's Twitter Emad's Twitter Jim's announcement as Executive Chair Show Notes: The open vs closed AI debate How will open AI lead to better outcomes for AI safety? How will AI allow us to to solve previously unsolvable problems? How AI can transform education AI and storytelling What is 'clean' data? Can AI technology increase IQs across the entire world? The future: optimism, pessimism, jobs, AI alignment and the panopticon Why closed AI is a bad business model Anticipating and defending against future problems What two ideas would you like to give everyone in the world? Books Mentioned: The WEIRDest People in the World; by Joseph Henrich